We spent part of the afternoon at one of the national booksellers, perusing the shelves.  Not that I “need” another book.  A bookstore is always an agreeable place, and especially on a chill winter’s day.  I spent some time examining the display of new fiction hardcover books.  A thought came to mind.  A publishers prime directive is to “make money.” Only books certain capture the attention of the widest readership, will see the light of day.  I mean to say that an author ought to have a substantial following on social media, “name recognition.”  Moreover, the content needs be congruent with the habits of thought of a significant segment of the 329 million of us who participate in the experiment of America.  Or to say it differently, the title and content of a book, should strike a note with the spirit of the age, the defining mood, the ideas and beliefs of this time in our history.

The academic term is zeitgeist, coming from 18th century G. W. F. Hegel, his idea, the “invisible agent or force dominating the characteristics of a given epoch.” 

The photos of book covers capture the texture of our globalized communication and transportation inflected society, a society with a widening gap between the few who benefit the most, and the many who make do with mediocre education, inadequate health care, etc.  Several book covers reference the rise of religion in cultic form, irrational and Dionysian. By stark contrast to immersion in spiritual transcendence, another cover vectors from the racialized hatred stoked by social media pundits, the movement to “take back our country.”  And then there’s the note of nature’s apocalypse, as the nation is beset with extreme weather events linked to climate warming.  My favorite is the cover depicting Dr.  Anthony Fauci.  Dr. Fauci is a scientist, immunologist, working with the National Institute of Health, who is now the medical advisor to the President.  Dr. Fauci has appeared almost daily on television, a spokesperson answering questions, interpreting public health policy.  Fauci contrasts with the hysteria, the psychic unrest attendant to the pandemic that fractures society, — with impassive, gnome-like, measured advice. 

What do these various clues to the direction of society amount to?  I do not know. 

My instincts tell me the pattern is one of spiraling descent.

Are we better than this?  We can be.